1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to communication systems, methods and program products. More particularly, the invention relates to communication systems, methods and program products for assigning contact information to an External Device for Communication Purposes Using A Mobile Device
2. Description of Prior Art
In the future, people's relationship with and perception of the mobile phone may change from the current form of serving communication needs only to building or continuing relationships with others via the mobile phone. Already, many people are dependent on the mobile phones not only when they are out and about, but also as the constant personal contact. Some people disconnect their landline at home and rely solely on the mobile phone. Some operators have plans for offering one number that can be both the landline and mobile phone. It would be desirable to allow a user of a mobile phone to have additional and personalized means to observe or feel connected to a certain person(s) by linking communications from a contact source located on a network and associated with that person to an external device, which is capable of conveying the associated communication to the person by way of an interface, e.g. audio, video, display, etc. It would be desirable to identify external devices with an identification (Id) for delivery of messages collected by the mobile device from a network serving contact sources associated with the Id. It would be further desirable to assign a phone number(s) to the associated contact sources for detection of associated message (s) with at least one external device identified by an Id. It would be still further desirable to enable a mobile device to store messages associated with a certain person by Id for subsequent delivery to the certain person via an external device, when the mobile device was within the communication range of the external device.
Prior art related to communicating messages on a network associated with a person by way of external devices includes:
1) U.S. 20020082054 entitled “Mobile Emotional Notification Application”, published Jun. 6, 2002, discloses an emotional notification system. Information about another party is entered into and stored in a terminal of a first party along with one or more data devices associated with the second party (such as an email from, to or about the second party, a file originated by the second party, etc.). Each time the first party activates his terminal through an interface module, a data device associated with a second party, i.e. a notifying message is sent to the second party to make the second party aware that the first party is devoting attention to the second party and to promote bonding between the two parties.
2) U.S. 20020081937 entitled “Electronic Toy”, published Jun. 27, 2002, discloses an electronic toy which automatically activates when the user is nearby. The electronic toy is controlled so as to react to external information, and has a movement mechanism structuring the mechanical movement of the toy; an input element for obtaining external information; a distinction element for distinguishing whether an device body exists in the periphery; and a control element for selecting, among a plurality of control parameters. The control parameter controls the movement mechanism in correspondence with the external information based on the distinction result, and activates the mechanism when a person exists in the periphery.
None of the prior art discloses a mobile device (1) detecting and storing messages from a contact source on a network associated with a certain person for subsequent delivery to the certain person via an external device; (2) storing Ids of external devices for delivery of messages from contact sources associated with the Id on a network; (3) assigning telephone numbers or Internet addresses to contact sources for monitoring purposes, and (4) delivering messages from the contact sources to associated external devices for delivery to persons served by the external device, when the mobile device is within the communicating range of the external device.